This is a holiday season unlike any other in most of our lifetimes. This year many of us will be celebrating differently than usual. Many are staying home to hopefully help slow the spread of coronavirus. Some will enjoy the holidays as if there’s nothing different than usual this year.
Since casinos closed earlier this year, I’ve barely gambled outside of betting on sports. That said, I have the itch to get back into casinos and hit the tables again. That will happen soon enough. For the time being, I know many of us won’t be visiting a casino for at least a few weeks.
Here are a few ways to enjoy blackjack and get ready for next year if you’re almost ready to get back to the casinos.
Practice Playing Blackjack
During the early days of quarantine, many blackjack players practiced the game they love. This would enable them to be sharp when casinos reopened.
Some players headed back into casinos as soon as they reopened and are enjoying blackjack once again. If you haven’t played blackjack online or in person, you might want to sharpen your skills for the new year.
When I play blackjack online or on my phone (usually the latter), I practice my skills. I don’t want to play for money, coins, or rewards. I practice blackjack games to become a better player. I only use blackjack apps that will correct my basic strategy play if there’s a wrong move.
I’m usually about 97%-98% accurate when I play blackjack often. When my skills aren’t sharp, I drop to the low 90% range. I can’t spend my hard-earned blackjack funds with suboptimal skills. Practicing to play perfect basic strategy is a must before playing cards for money.
Find a great blackjack app or website and sharpen your skills for your ultimate return to casinos.
Watch A Gambling Movie
Watching a movie about Vegas, casinos, or gambling always puts me in a good mood. By “good mood” I mean it gets me ready to visit a casino and gamble. The movies can be fun or serious. The common thread is that gambling, casinos or both are involved.
Here are some movies you should be able to find on cable or a streaming service over the holidays:
- 21
- Casino
- Casino Royale
- The Hangover
- Rounders
- Molly’s Game
- Ocean’s 11
- Ocean’s 13
- Vegas Vacation
- Uncut Gems
There are definitely more gambling movies but these should all be easy to find on the different video platforms.
Read a Blackjack Book
During the holidays it might be nice and relaxing to kick back with a book and a cup of hot chocolate. Here are a few blackjack book options that are a bit different from one another.
- Beat the Dealer: A Winning Strategy for the Game of Twenty-One – This is the kind of book a recreational blackjack player reads to take their game to another level.
- Blackjack Secrets – Stanford Wong is one of the most famous gambling writers. This book is about turning recreational blackjack play into an investment opportunity.
- Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions – This is based on a true story about card counters from MIT. It’s not 100% accurate but it’s an easy read and quite entertaining.
Much like the movies, there are a lot of good blackjack books. Two of these books are just different options for players looking to take their game to another level. The other is just a book for entertainment on a game you enjoy.
